Boss urged: Give keeper more notice
ROB Green has called on England boss Gareth Southgate to name his World Cup goalkeeper before departing for Russia, having been given just two hours notice that he would start the 2010 tournament.
Southgate admitted during the last international break in March that he had not settled on a number one, echoing Fabio Capello’s uncertainty eight years ago.
Green only learned he would take the field against the United States in Rustenburg on the evening of the match and went on to gift Clint Dempsey an equaliser before being dropped for David James.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford is favourite to get the nod ahead of Jack Butland, Joe Hart and outsider Nick Pope but, with Southgate naming his 23-man squad on Wednesday, Green hopes for a swift decision.
“The age old thing of saying ‘it’s up for grabs’ doesn’t really help the situation. A goalkeeping unit is different from outfield, the psychology is different,” said.
“Privately, by the time the friendlies are done the lads would want to know. As a goalkeeper you feel like if you’re treated like adults and have your position explained to you, you respect that. You might not agree with it, but you get on with it.
“In South Africa, I knew about two hours before kick-off and that didn’t help.
“There’s stark differences in the roles and the ways you prepare. In 2010 that didn’t help, the nervous energy you’re burning off, the continuous phone calls from family, friends, the press, all trying to find out who was playing when nobody knew.
“You try and relax but inevitably it comes down to ‘am I playing or not playing?’.” CITY’S Tom Davies has been charged with violent conduct following a 21st minute incident in Saturday’s playoff first leg game against Notts County.
The incident was not seen by officials but the Sky Blues centre-back was caught by the Sky TV cameras appearing to stamp on Notts County defender Richard Duffy’s shin, prompting fears that the City defender could be banned for the second leg of the play-off semis and the final at Wembley, should Mark Robins’s men beat the Magpies at Meadow Lane on Friday.
A panel of top former referees will now review the footage and decide whether or not the Sky Blues defender will face a ban.
An FA spokesman said: “Off the ball incidents which are not seen are referred to a panel of three former elite match officials.
“Each official will review the footage independently to determine whether they consider it a sendingoff offence.
“For a charge to follow, the decision must be unanimous.”
Davies could face a three match ban if the panel decide the offence was worthy of a straight red card for violent conduct.
City skipper Michael Doyle, though, remains hopeful there will be no retrospective disciplinary action taken. Asked about the incident, the 36-year-old said: “I didn’t see it to be honest with you. This is the thing though, the cameras pick up these things.”
Doyle insists there’s a lot of heat of the battle stuff that goes on that is often not seen but which is ‘part and parcel’ of games.
“I had it myself when I was in the play-offs a couple of years ago playing for Portsmouth against Plymouth. There was a tackle and then running off a player put his head into the back of me and you would have thought that would have got done because Sky played it and played it but nothing got done about it. “So it’s just heat of the moment stuff. Tom is a whole-hearted player and hopefully nothing will come of it. Hopefully anyway. “I think retrospective action is more with the referee but I don’t think he gets the chance to go back and watch it on the telly and then say something. “I don’t know if the FA would. I suppose it’s the playoffs but hopefully it will be fine.” Doyle knows County captain Duffy of old, the pair played on the same Coventry team during the defender’s four loan spells with the Sky Blues when he played over 60 times back between 2005 and 2008. Duffy was a fresh-faced right-back on loan from then Premier League Portsmouth back then. Now he’s an experienced 32-year-old centre-half and key man in Kevin Nolan’s big and physical Notts side.
“Listen, Richard Duffy was fine,” said Doyle, of his former team-mate who was able to continue playing after the incident early in the first half.
“He was steaming about the pitch and putting himself about and he knows how to do stuff himself without really saying anything negative towards him because it’s all part and parcel of the game, you know. If Sky went through a lot of things there we’d all be in a lot of trouble!”
Davies apologised to Duffy afterwards and as far as he’s concerned the matter appears to be forgotten, for now at least.
“To be fair, he came up to me afterwards and said he didn’t mean it, so if that’s what he says, I’ll take his word for it,” said Duffy. Whether he stamped on me or stepped on me, I’m not sure. I felt the contact and I wasn’t too happy, but he apologised and said he didn’t mean it.”